Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe's guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo's download service. Written by Sam C Gittins.

Quality over quantity this time as a duo of downloads become available; one average and one amazing, enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Cratermaze
• Wave Race 64

Points: 600
Publisher: Hudsonsoft
Developer: Hudsonsoft
Released: 1990
System: Turbografx

Cratermaze is another maze-craze based game which bares similarities to both Pacman and Bomberman; this is by no means a comparison of it's quality but justto give an idea of the basic concept. You move through a series of mazes in order to save your friends from the evil Zenzombie who has trapped them in a parallel world; during your expedition you will be constantly confronted by enemies from across various points in time including dinosaurs, ninjas and robots.

Defeating your foes is simply a matter of digging holes to trap them in and then burying them alive to finish the job. Primarily your objective is to escape the level while collecting as many treasure chests as possible within the time limit; power-ups such as shovels, skates and spring platforms are at your disposal which help to alleviate some of the inherently repetitive nature of this title.

A variety of difficulties are available with one main small but noticeable difference; In normal mode you can walk over holes you have made unharmed whereas in the harder variant you can fall in, so it forces you to think before you tread. As you progress further into the game you will encounter level features such as trampolines and warps which will aid you in your never ending quest for enemy evasion.

It's not exactly a very challenging experience as normal mode is a complete walkover and while you can play it on the other difficulties there isn't much here to compel you to play through a second time. If your just looking to complete it and move on but want some sense of achievement, the next setting up is advisable.

Aesthetically average and featuring a reasonably upbeat soundtrack, this titles makes a solid effort and it is reasonably fun to play for a short session here and there. Ultimately it's not one of the best puzzle type games out there but it's certainly not the worst; if you have the time and the points for it you might find it reasonably rewarding, just don't expect it to last you more than a few sittings.

Verdict : A maze craze thats nothing but a passing phase.

Points: 1000
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Released: 1997
System: Nintendo 64

Sequel to the original Gameboy incarnation, Wave Race 64 is thought to be the definitive game of the series; responsible for reviving the spirit of it's predecessor and bringing it to life like never before in the glorious third dimension. A launch title for the Nintendo 64, it featured visuals and wave physics that were for their time quite simply unparalleled; add to that the weather conditions and controls that are honed to perfection and it becomes clear to see that this title truly was in many ways ahead of it's time.

From the variable fluidity of the waves to the buoyancy of the wave racers, everything has amazing attention to detail and from the moment the race begins you feel in complete control at all times. From start to inevitable climax of each race there is no deviance from the actions you carry out on the pad to whats translated on screen; this feeling of ultimate control brought about by some truly top-notch programming is the secret to the games decidedly deserved success.

Races follow the same familiar flow whereby you are put up against three other A.I opponents, steering a course either left or right in between coloured buoys and avoiding occasional obstructions on your way to the finish line. You are awarded and ascending amount of points from forth to first place; finishing last will earn you a single point and achieving the ultimate goal of winning the race gains you four.

In practice this isn't as easy as it may initially sound, sure enough the "Normal" race set eases you in and doesn't prove particularly problematic in snagging first place on each race; move up to the greater difficulties however and the game really starts to come into it's own on many levels. Your opponents become tougher to beat, the number of courses steadily increases and a variety of shortcuts show themselves while remaining secluded on the default difficulty; and whats more you will find that you need to take every corner near-perfectly and time each jump with precision just to keep the lead.

Wave Race 64 is not a game to be taken lightly, designed to it's zenith for the time of release; it has a lot to offer in it's well honed championship mode alone and with time-trial, stunt mode and even 2P VS there is plenty to keep you playing. Add in a trick system which offers both depth and challenge, sparingly used audio samples and a delightfully simple speed system and you have what is quite possibly the finest recreation of a wave racing game ever released.

Verdict : Aquatic acrobatics distilled to their purest form.

And so another edition of VC Weekly comes to an end, but rest assured it will return again soon so until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!

Sam Gittins
[email protected]